Cable cleaning systems for cleaning cables are known, for example from British Patent Specification No. 1,466,677, published on Mar. 9th, 1977, and from British Patent Specification No. 1,526,952, published on Oct. 4th, 1978.
Said known cable cleaning systems comprise a chamber adapted to surround a section of a cable to be cleaned and to be displaced relative to the cable, nozzles within the chamber for directing jets of high pressure cleaning liquid onto the surface of the cable, sealing means at both ends of the chamber and adapted to contact the cable and means for withdrawing used cleaning liquid with dirt and other matter entrained therein from the chamber.
During operation of said known cable cleaning systems, the used cleaning liquid is withdrawn from the chamber by means of a conventional liquid sludge pump and is passed through a conduit to a tank for collecting used cleaning liquid.
A problem with the known cable cleaning systems is the leakage of used cleaning liquid from the chamber along the sealing means contacting the cable. This problem is particularly serious when the cable cleaning system is used for cleaning stranded wire rope, which has an outer surface which is far from smooth.
Such leakage of used cleaning liquid from the chamber means a loss of the used cleaning liquid, which is not economical since the used cleaning liquid is still of such a quality that it could be regenerated and be recirculated to be used again for cleaning the cable.
It is the object of the invention to provide an improved cable cleaning system and a method of cleaning a cable by means of the said improved cable cleaning system, having the advantage that leakage of used cleaning liquid from the chamber along the sealing means contacting the cable is eliminated.